Good Rhythm

I was in a band in college. 

Well, that’s a bit of a stretch.  I played bass drum on one song for a band made up of my friends, most of whom could play multiple instruments and sing.

There was this talent show and my apartment-mates decided to work up a song for it.  They had every instrument covered, as well as vocals, but they didn’t have a drummer…and because they liked me and wanted to include me, they figured I wouldn’t mess things up too badly.  The song they were working on was a rock ballad, without a lot for the drum to do except keep a driving beat in the background.  They asked if I could hit the bass pedal throughout the song, keeping the rhythm, and, having never played drums before but wanting to be in the band, I readily agreed.  After a lot of practice, we performed at that talent show, and won!  So either I did OK keeping the beat, or the competition wasn’t too stiff.

Rhythm, being in sync, is important when making music, especially in a band with multiple instruments and vocal parts.  Everyone needs to be on the same beat, the same tempo.  If just one person is out of sync, it throws the whole song into chaos.

The same is true in movies.  I’ve watched some pretty horrific Kung Fu movies where they’ve dubbed in English over the original language that the actors are speaking, and it’s so awful it’s funny.  Even worse is when the audio of a show is just a half-second out of sync with the video…so frustrating to watch! 

And what’s true in music and movies is true for riding tandem!  The two on the bike have to be in sync.  Now, it’s kinda tough to start…both riders have to really work hard to get into a rhythm.  What works best is if the rider on the front sets the pace, and the rider on the back matches his or her rhythm, so they’re pedaling together. 

Once the rhythm has been established, it seems like it’s pretty easy going…  Wind in the hair, sun on the back…life is good…until something interrupts the smooth ride.  That’s when things get more difficult.  It could be a turn to navigate or a hill to climb.  Maybe it’s other riders travelling the same path or there’s debris in the way.  Those times are when it’s most important to stay in sync.  Watching closely and communicating clearly are so important, especially when the sailing isn’t as smooth.

You may already see how this relates to our relationship with God.  He is the front rider on the tandem bike of our lives.  It takes a little work to get up and running in our relationship with Him – old habits might need to be broken, a new way of ‘riding’ through life needs to be learned.  But once you’re up and going, it can be pretty great.  Life with God is the best life possible!  It can be smooth and seem effortless…until it gets hard.  Things are always changing in life, and have a way of interrupting the smooth ride. 

• Maybe it’s a sharp turn that has to be navigated – God’s leading in a direction you hadn’t anticipated…
• Or maybe it’s a hill to climb – life gets more difficult and the pedaling gets tougher…
• Or maybe it’s some other people around you who make navigating the path of life harder…
• Or it could just be the messiness of circumstances that litter the trail and make for a bumpy ride.

Whatever it is, the secret is to stay in sync with the Master rider.  Watching God closely, staying in communication with Him is essential to staying in sync in this spiritual ride of life.  He is in the lead…we have to listen and follow, submitting to His leadership and direction.

Of course, when things are good, it can be tempting to sit back and take your feet off the pedals, relaxing and letting God do all the work.  But that doesn’t pan out – He’ll wait for you to start pedaling again.  You need to be an active participant in your own journey.

On the other hand, it can also be tempting at times to try to out-pedal God.  If you see some of those obstacles coming up, it’s easy to try and take over control of the bike, pedaling faster, trying to swerve.  We can try to come up with all sorts of ways to get around unpleasant things in life.  But going too fast can create so much chaos.  Settling into a rhythm with God is always best.

Jesus just needs us to stay in sync with Him, living in the flow of the rhythm He’s establishing.

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;in all your ways submit to him, and he will direct your paths.”

Steering our thoughts…

• What habits have you established that help keep you in sync with Jesus?
• Do you tend to try and hang back and let God do all the pedaling, or do you tend to try to anticipate problems and take over control of the journey?
• What are some of the things that have interfered, interrupting the smooth ride of your life?  What have you learned in submitting to Jesus’ leadership through the tough times?